Well, the Tigers once again barely set the suitcases down in the hotel room before getting down to business. Moving quickly to fill a hole, they acquired catcher Gerald Laird for pitching prospects Guillermo Moscoso and Â Carlos Melo.

Laird is a quality catcher who can hit, and he’ll give Dusty Ryan time to grow into the starting job in a couple years. All in all, a nice pick-up for the Tigers.

It did come at a price, however. Moscoso was considered a top prospect, and close to reaching the majors. The worst news is that he’s been compared to Jair Jurrjens by some.

It is good to see them addressing one of their main offseason needs so soon. Hopefully just the start of a very productive week

Share is caring:

7 Comment(s)

Having watched Gerald Laird for the last few years here in Texas, I am please that the Tigers have picked up a decent catcher in order to let Brandon Inge stay at third base where he is clearly happier. I’m hoping that the pickup of Adam Everett can solidify the shortstop at least for the short run until a more permanent solution can be found. Now we just need a closer! And hopefully we can be spared the fiasco that was 2008!

I got no beef with Gerald Laird. He’ll do fine in the role he’ll be given.

My beef is with the Everett signing. Please tell me he’s going to platoon with Santiago? If not, I don’t know how they can sell him as an upgrade over Ramon. They’re virtually identical statistically save Everett having walked into 11 HRs back in ’05. What’s more, Santiago offers you a switch hitter and all Everett is is another right-handed bat.

And good news with the signing of K-Rod by the Mets. If those numbers are accurate, doesn’t that drive down Kerry Wood’s pricetag a smidge?

I just checked the roster online and they haven’t publicly assigned a number to Laird. I’m guessing he’ll wear 12, 16 or 19. Though Jeff Larish is assigned #19 on the Tigers Web site, in the Arizona Fall League he was wearing #7. Maybe that’s his new number?